Panthers sign WR Avant to 1-year contract

The 6-foot-2, 210-pound Avant spent his first eight seasons in the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Last season he started a career-high 13 games and had 38 receptions for 447 yards and two touchdowns.

Those numbers were down from his previous three seasons in which Avant averaged 52 receptions and 633 yards receiving per year.

Carolina previously signed Jerricho Cotchery from the Pittsburgh Steelers and Tiquan Underwood from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to help fill major voids at the position.

After a 12-4 season in which they won the NFC South championship, the Panthers released their all-time leading receiver Steve Smith and lost Brandon LaFell, Ted Ginn Jr. and Domenik Hixon to other teams via free agency.

That left Panthers QB Cam Newton without any wide receivers on the roster that he had completed passes to.